Potions Class 3-A (Years 1-4)

[Albus Dumbledore]

Horace Slughorn stepped into his classroom, whistling cheerfully. The house championship tournament was well on its way, and his Slug Club meeting had been, in his opinion, an unqualified success. Of course, there was the dreadful matter of the Gryffindor girl's death, but he trusted that the increased auror presence around the school would prove effective at keeping the other students and the staff safe from whomever would dare kill a little girl. Her killer would be found, and soon, all would be well. He was so confident about this that he had resolved not to worry about those pesky rumors that the mysterious Lord Voldemort was really his former prized student, Tom Riddle.

Approaching his desk he was surprised to find that not only was his favorite chair missing, so was the desk! It was a lucky thing for him that he kept nothing important in his desk. Sighing, he summoned up as much strength as he could and conjured both a desk, in rich cherry wood with gilded legs and a glass-smooth surface, and a large, cushioned armchair with red velvet trim.

Conjuring takes a lot of energy for a wizard, unless the wizard is very powerful, which Slughorn was not. So he sank down into the chair and began to eat from the container of crystallized pineapple in his hands. Hopefully, his teaching assistant would be here soon, so she could handle much of the work today.

[Arachne Weaver]

Arachne made her way to the Potions classroom and noticed the professor sitting in a chair eating pineapples... seriously this had to be some kind of joke. She inwardly rolled her eyes as she spoke in her demure manner, "Hello Professor Slughorn, new desk?" She had a feeling she was going to be his little work horse again and she mentally cursed Mr Rookwood for making her be a teaching assistant of all things. She really hated children.

[Lilac Drake]

Lilac was coming from the Slytherin Common room to her potions class. Sometimes she'd visit with her brother before the class since it too was in the dungeons. She wondered if not for the millionth time if her father would've loved her more had she been in Slytherin, although she supposed it didn't matter. All she could hope for now was to be the best student she could be and do anything else that could bring "honor" to the Drake name.

That included getting to her class on time.

"Hello professor, Ms.Weaver." she nodded to them before finding a seat for herself.

[Seth Inophen]

Seth walked into Potions class with his brother's voice still in the back of his head. Do better in Potions. Get invited to Slug Club so we'll leave you alone. Seth groaned inwardly at the almost impossible task.

But if it meant Jarrod and his parents leaving him be, then doing better in a class wasn't really a sacrifice, was it?

"Hello Professor Slughorn," Seth said all too politely. Earlier in the year, he was thankful that the professor hadn't recalled the Inophen name, but now he was desperate for an inkling of recognition. "Hello to you too, Ms. Weaver," He said, just as politely. Then he turned toward the class and saw Lyla setting up her cauldron.

"Mind if I set up here?" he asked her, gesturing to the open space to Lyla's left.

[Lilac Drake]

"Please." she said moving her stuff so Seth could sit, "How are things Seth?" she asked, they had gotten along at their last class and she was happy for a friendly face.

She did well in this class, but then again her father issued her the same command, get into Slug club...She worked hard, she was trying to gain recognition as well.

[Seth Inophen]

Seth smiled and began to set up his cauldron and potions equiptment, careful not to spill anything or knock anything over. He was such a klutz and he had no clue how to survive this class, let along get into Slug Horn's pristine group.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I'm dredful in this class. I despretly need to find a tutor..."

[Lilac Drake]

She seemed to pause and think about it, "Well Severus is the best at potions whom I can think of in our class." she said trying to be helpful.

[Seth Inophen]

Seth winced at the thought of asking Severus Snape for help. "How about second best?" Seth asked. He thought back to the incident between Snape and himself in the common room. "Snape and I aren't exactly on the best of terms right now..."

[Lilac Drake]

Lilac frowned and put her finger to the corner of her mouth, "I'm not sure." she knew Severus reigned in the potions department, but no one else really compared to the kid, at least not noticibly, "I could ask around, or I'm sure there's a fifth year...well what about Maxi these potions would be old for her wouldn't they? She should be good at them."

[Severus Snape]

Severus picked that moment to walk in, he walked past Inophen like he wasn't there and gave a "Ha!" when he heard the Gryffindor girl suggest an older student to help Inophen with class. He knew that most of the time older students merely passed potions by the skins of their teeth, only to drop it in sixth year or sooner if they could. He sat at a different than his usual desk, hoping Natalie would not sit next to him, but then secretly hoping she would. On that thought he absently set up his work table, then when he was done, he opened his older than old book and slumped over it, probably taking it in through Osmosis, but letting his mind wander to a more confident and better look him, that was able to talk to Natalie without feeling like his stomach was in a muggle blender or that he was putting her through mortal turmoil.

[Seth Inophen]

"Yea, well...Potions aren't really Maxi's for-te," Seth sighed. He'd love it if either Maxi or Bek were useful when it came to potion making, then he wouldn't even be considering asking that greeseball second year. He looked back at Snape, who was now hunched over his potions book. Seth sighed and turned back to Lyla. "Don't worry, I'll figure something out. Thanks," Seth said to her.

[Severus Snape]

Severus Picked his head up and wondered what he could do to really mess Inophen's potion up today... he sat up and rooted through his potions kit, He had a few extra pods, some bits of arrowroot, that would make any potion turn to sludge... Oh there were so many things he could do. He picked something from one of the vials and put the rest back and fidgeted with his potions set up, moving one thing or just turning a few pages of his book.

[Lilac Drake]

Lilac didn't know why Seth wouldn't ask Snape for help she had herself upon occasion and to her knowledge there was no one better to ask, perhaps Seth was shy. "Well...alright." she conceded, "My brother...he does well at potions." well then again in Lilac's eyes, her brother did well in everything.

[Seth Inophen]

Seth nodded and smiled at Lyla, but didn't talk more on the matter of a Potions tutor. He was sure he'd figure something out. Out of the cornor of his eye, he could have sworn he saw Snape smirking to himself, but Seth didn't think more on the matter and turned back to Lyla.

"So how have you been Lyla," Seth asked with a smile, straying from the previous subject.

[Lilac Drake]

"Oh fine." she said perking back up with the conversation as she began readying her own things, she had already gotten everything out, but the perfectionist in her made her want to put everything in order. She wasn't a natural perfectionist, it stemmed from years of disappointing her father and not knowing the reason why. "You?"

[Seth Inophen]

Seth smiled as he watched Lyla perfectly place everything from her potions kit on the table. He glanced at his own array of ingredients and how they were strewn across his part of the table. He turned a wooden spoon so it was parallel with his knife. "I'm okay." he answered.

[Lilac Drake]

She grinned at him easily. Now that her task was done she was free to focus on Seth, well at least until her ocd mind jumped to another chore. Seth came from a good family as well, her father knew Seth's father, but then again she doubted that any well bred society member didn't know another well bred society member, they had all likely been in school together all likely been classmates and associates. It was a distant acquaintance but she was sure that their parents talked or were on good terms. "How is your family?" she asked having no clue of their estrangement.

[Seth Inophen]

Seth smiled, in spite of his least favorite subject. "They're okay I guess," Seth replied, keeping it vague, for all he knew was vague with the rest of the Inophens. "Jarrod's back home, and I think he's staying for a while, so my parents are happy about that."

"How 'bout your's?" Seth asked. "Your brother and all family," He saw her brother everyday nearly, being in the same house and all, but the two never were really on the terms that would be titled "friends", just housemates.

[Lilac Drake]

Lyla smiled showing unbelievable happiness, she glowed when she talked about her brother, "Ethan's well, but of course you see him every day." she saw him every day as well but she wasn't in the same house and she wished terribly that she was. Her eyes dimmed a bit, "And my family is...fine." she announced with slightly less enthusiasm.

[Seth Inophen]

"Just fine?" Seth asked noticing Lyla's slight hesitation. "Forgive me if I'm prying," Seth added. He didn't want to upset Lyla if he was getting too personal.